Classical Christiania. Norway 1814

15 February 2014–8 June 2014

To celebrate the bicentennial of Norway's constitution, the National Museum presents three historical exhibitions under the common title “Norway 1814”, in three different venues: the National Gallery, the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design, and the National Museum – Architecture. These exhibitions will explore the art of the period in a new light. Visitors will be able to view many works that have rarely if ever been shown in public before.

In 1814, Christiania became Norway's capital and the seat of an entirely new state administration. The exhibition shows how the buildings in the city's Quadrature district were adapted for new purposes. As its first debating chamber, Norway's parliament used the assembly hall of Christiania's Cathedral School, designed by the architect Charles Stanley. With a focus on the Norges Bank building, which now houses the National Museum – Architecture, and Christiania Theater, both designed by Christian Heinrich Grosch, the exhibition throws light on some of the first buildings to be constructed in the new country. The exhibition explains both what has been lost and what preserved from the period.

The exhibition is on display in the Vault.

Map of historic buildings

An interactive map of historic buildings in Christiania has been made to accompany the exhibition: